Facebook user

February 14, 2012


I read an article a couple a weeks ago regarding Facebook and this person's opinion of the users on Facebook and why they use Facebook.  I am writing  this article in response to the person's opinion.  The article is entitled Facebook brings out the worst in People and can be read by following the link below


http://ussoccerthoughts.hubpages.com/hub/Facebook-Friends-that-you-Love-to-Hate


Now when I first read I had to seriously contemplate the writers reasoning as to why they thought this way.  Number 1 is this person does not use Facebook, this person is a blogger.  People who do not use Facebook, cannot understand and lets be fair this person did not bash Facebook - just stated "  I just don’t see the need for it,".


I first started Facebook like most people do with a friend stating you know you should really check it out.  Now previous to Facebook I was using My Space and Friendster and neither of these sites were serious.  I just liked hanging out there and changing my profile pictures or rearranging things.  These social sites were really not set up so that you could actually communicate everyday with someone and get the immediate Social interaction.  I found out my son - who at the time was in college - was using Facebook and had been for some time.  He lived about 3 hours away and our communication was not a everyday thing as his and my schedule differed and he worked nights.  


Anyways, I started my Facebook page.  Now at first I just checked it now and then and started searching for friends that I had via email or people I had met on the other Social sites.  I was very pleased that my son and I could keep up with each other with photo's or postings directly to the wall, and Facebook was easy to learn.  I did not like the fact that I could not decorate my site or page like the other pages.  But it was a work in progress and I still had my other pages to fill in that need to decorate pages.


Time continued on and I gradually started adding more friends.  Now I found that I liked the search engine in Facebook and one day I decided to search for friends that I knew years ago and lost contact with.  You know once upon a time communication was done with phones and mail, people move, phone numbers change.  You also have to understand that I have moved around a lot over my childhood and have friends in almost every State.


Nothing could every express the happiness that I got when the search engine found the person I was looking for and I messaged the person to see if it really was that person.  When I got a response and hit pay dirt I was thrilled to death.  Had not heard nor spoke to that person in over 20 years and always wondered what had happened to her.  That day we exchanged phone numbers and talked to each other for the first time in years and got caught up on each others lives.  I am happy to say that a visit is in store this May and hopefully we will get caught up on more things.


I have also found family from my fathers side.  My father was in the military and so I did not get to know my family, was not raised with cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents and such.  My mother's family lived in England and so at most we just wrote letters back and forth.  So it was really nice to find and actually be able to interact at least at some kind of level with family whom I have never known.  A visit there will be coming forth soon too.


My oldest son has since moved out of the country and lives in the mountains and sometimes communication via cell phone is just not feasible.  Yes you got it we still communicate via Facebook, he can still email me and post to my wall.  So for this Facebook has been an excellent tool for me to keep up with him and keep him up to date on the latest back home. 


Now once you find these people and start interacting you then become addicted to Facebook and become a poster child - not that you are seeking attention - the stupid thing does ask what is your status?   And after reading the person's article I had to contemplate do I annoy people with my numerous postings?  Not to mention I think I have a couple of stalkers on Facebook cause even though they never say anything to me on Facebook - they text me the responses on my phone.  So obviously they are reading my postings - LOL!  I call these the silent minorities - for some reason they don't want people to know what they are doing - but they are just as involved in Facebook as the rest of us- just don't let it be known!


Anyways, I have decided to do an experiment - and try to cut down on my Facebook experience - I will still play games of course, but I think I will tone it down a notch or two.  So Happy Valentines Day everybody - I will be blogging more and posting less - less is more - besides I have Algebra to do and two other classes before graduation.  Love you all - a Facebook addict - 


PS - At the beginning of the article I was responding to an article - my response is yes Facebook can bring out the worst in people but it can also bring out the best in people too.  No where can you go and post a status and get a response to what ever it is you are talking about. The world needs care and caring people and I would hope that most people that you interact with on Facebook you know personally and therefore, it doesn't matter if you are not up to pare for a day - your friends and family won't let you down.  For the gloater, per the article yes there are people out there who wants the world to be envious of them and their lives - but lets be real - you get them on the outside of Facebook too and we all know how to recognize them - and roll with it - don't take life so seriously you get old that way - and you know old is not where I am trying to go - my idea of life is hold on for the ride ...PS - if you didn't realize this I am a blogger too - LOL!